QUINCY — Success has always been hard to come by for the Dedham High boys lacrosse program, but for one afternoon, when things seemed to be stacked against the Marauders, they managed to come through in the final minutes and come away with a gritty 6-5 win against North Quincy at Veterans Stadium to earn a split in the season series.

Adam Ryan and John Fitzpatrick scored 31 seconds apart while a man down to break a 4-4 tie and give Dedham a two-goal lead with 2:24 remaining in regulation.

They were then hemmed in their defensive half of the field for the remainder of the game, allowing a goal while shorthanded with 1:10 remaining as Tim Glynn scored for the Red Raiders. With Joe Linnehan free from the box, Dedham was able to kill off the final 70 seconds without allowing a shot at the cage as a defensive unit comprised of Linnehan, Ryan, Gersaint Excellent, Daron Stephen, Liam Slavin and Sami Toumani managed to finally force a turnover with 11 seconds remaining.

"No, we can't take this to conference, but it's a good win for the guys, they worked hard," said Dedham coach Kyle Dilley. "Out of conference wins are big too. At this point in the season, it's late in the year, you take wins you can get them. It's a good team win. Anytime it's a tight game, it's a good team win."

Dedham (2-10) was unlucky to be trailing 2-0 early in the second quarter after having twice hit the pipe in the first quarter and having a goal waived off for a crease violation in the second. John Fitzgerald put the Marauders on the scoreboard with 2:31 remaining in the first half following a North Quincy turnover in its defensive end.

Fitzpatrick scored his first of two goals with 1:14 to play, tying the game at 2-2.

Things got heated shortly after the Red Raiders won the faceoff as a fight broke out at midfield. Each team had two players ejected, Fitzgerald and Stephen McDonough for Dedham and Nolan Greene and Cornelius Koch for North Quincy.

According to Rule 49.3.1 in the MIAA Handbook fighting, punching or kicking an opposing player carries a two game suspension. That would mean Fitzgerald and McDonough would miss yesterday's game at Newton North and tomorrow's game against Brookline and be eligible once again on Tuesday against Quincy.

"I think it's really because it's the second game. Every time you have to play a team twice it's always going to be different than the first game," said Dilley. "The first game (a 16-7 North Quincy win on April 4) was up and down movement, I think there were very little penalties and this one just kind of happened. There was a lot of penalties, a little scrappiness, but it was a good game."

Page 2 of 2 - Dilley also added that it is "something that should never happen in lacrosse."

The game was chippy for much of the contest, with 20 penalties being called against the two teams.

Jack Rutherford gave Dedham its first lead of the evening with 8:29 left in the third quarter, cutting to the left post toward Fitzpatrick to take a short pass and apply the quick finish.

The third goal of the game for North Quincy's Mike Finn, who took a feed from in close and finished, tied the game with 5:14 left in the third quarter. Fitzpatrick and Ryan had excellent bids in the final minute of the third, only to be denied by Joe England (9 saves). Ryan had a say before the quarter was out, however, spinning to his right to get away from a defender and ripping a shot home with three seconds left for a 4-3 lead heading into the fourth.

North Quincy once again tied the game while a man-up in the fourth quarter as for the second time a Marauder failed to immediately release when a penalty expired, and the Red Raiders were playing with one man too many following a string of penalties and commotion in the box.

Joe Ford went off for slashing with 8:03 left, with the referee indicating a one-minute penalty, North Quincy was flagged for offsides, a 30-second penalty, and unsportsmanlike conduct, a one-minute penalty, with 7:31 left. The Red Raiders were playing full strength following the end of the 30 seconds.

Rob Hines tied the game at 4-all with 6:51 left.

With Ford in the box for a third time in the second half for slashing, this time for two minutes for making contact to the head, Dedham managed to break out and, with his back to the goal, Ryan sent a low backhanded shot just inside the left post to reclaim the lead with 2:53 to play.

Fitzpatrick scored in transition, ripping a shot between England's legs for a 6-4 lead with 2:24 to go.